Uncle Sam's quadrennial political hiatus

August 27, 1984

The United States is well into its quadrennial political hiatus. It's as though Uncle Sam had taken off his tall hat, changed from his long coat and trousers to ''cutoffs,'' and begun to toss a brightly colored beach ball.

Oh, Americans know the others are out there watching them play volleyball with the presidency. And the others - the so-called free world, third world, and communist-bloc nations - are not going to let the US forget its foreign obligations and challenges for a minute.

Uncle Sam still has at least half an eye on Central America, and he knows that the Middle East, the arms race, and a dozen other situations are waiting to be picked up again after Nov. 6.

But for now, the rest of the world can pretty much shift for itself while Americans go about the seriocomic process of deciding whom they will make ''the most powerful leader in the world'' for the next four years.